Bipods are commonly used to provide a steady support for rifles, particularly when hunting.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,992,339 discloses a rifle with a bipod that is held within bores formed in the forestock housing when the bipod is not in use. The bipod comprises extendable legs that are attached to the front of the forestock with a bracket. The legs may be retracted from the housing and then extended, pivoted downwardly and splayed outwardly to an operational position. Tension springs are used to hold the legs in the splayed position. However, the tension springs tend to get caught on foliage when the hunter is carrying the rifle through the bush. The springs can also nip the skin of the hunter's hand if caught in one of the springs.
Other rifles include external bipods that are supported by the rifle forestock but that are held externally to the forestock. However, because the bipod is externally attached to the rifle, the legs, springs, and other components of the bipod tend to get caught in bush and scrub. These models also tend to make the rifle fore end heavy, which can put the rifle out of balance if the shooter is to take a standing shot.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a rifle forestock that goes at least some way towards overcoming the disadvantages of the prior art or at least provides a useful alternative to existing bipods.